Harlan finally stepped outside, perhaps it was just growing up, perhaps it was assimilating those men.

But he had grown a scraggly beard, one more befitting a beggar than the champion of a god.

It was the first time that light had touched his skin in weeks, and he saw all of his Sentinels lined up, ready to do their work.

“1, you will remain here. 2, you will take yours to the farm. 3, you will go to the Redwall manor.”

Each of them nodded, and then 2 and 3 took flight along with the rest of their units.

He had a visitor to take care of.

“Ain’t the right fit for ya.”

With some water magic Harlan’s face was suddenly clean shaven and his body was washed of the grime which he was covered with.

Even after the second week, where his head finally cooled, he still refused to do anything but eat and work.

“Thank you. Unseen, you can stand down.”

They did not move from their spots, each of them had their swords already drawn and ready to cut down the blacksmith.

“Thinkin’ ‘bout takin’ you up on yer offer.”

He reached into a bag he pulled out a blueprint.

“I want ah new workshop, never got ta upgrade muh last one. But, it’s gonna cost ya. Put an estimate on the paper.”

Harlan barely looked over the plans.

“Talk to my minister of finance. He will give you what you need. Find whatever builders you need to help with construction, builder golems are here and undamaged.”

Brig tapped his fingers on 1, the only golem who would remain out of stealth.

“Do not make contact with me.”

His eyes brightened and he began letting out a black mist from his skull, giving what seemed to be a ghostly beard to the warmachine.

“Damn good work.”

“1, register Brig as an ally.”

“Understood.”

Harlan walked his lands for a bit, he never got the chance to really walk around after the attack.

The trees couldn’t be healed, and thus they were simply being cut into wood for repairs.

One tree did stay however, a sapling with pink leaves.

He called Kass over.

“When did you plant this?”

“I’ve tried to move several times, even earth magic can’t make it budge an inch. I assumed it was done by you, since it showed up during the attack, even killed a few invaders with some razor sharp petals.”

What was disconcerting to Harlan was that it had a mind, and not a human one.

Periwinkle was not a good writer, the letter was just that she would be gone for a little bit, but she made it sound as if she didn’t plan to return.

When the attack happened, despite having no reason, no rules binding her, and a hate of killing, she fought back.

Harlan shed a few tears as he touched the tree, if she was telling the truth, then this was what she meant by coming back after death.

She was weak, weaker than him even before he went to the academy. Thus, she had no real way to fight back unless it was a sacrificial attack.

“If this tree seeds, plant more of them, take good care of her.”

Kass looked at him a bit strangely, but simply nodded.

“The boy who died. What happened to his body?”

“We buried him near the village. I hope that was alright.”

“I did not know his name, yet, I do feel like I owe a debt to him. Even if it was an accident, he answered the gate instead of Isha, saving her life.”

Harlan called Balor over, he sat on a simple stone chair with a soft soil seat watching the tree he believed to be Periwinkle.

“Thank goodness you finally left the bunker. I assume you are returning to the academy as originally scheduled?”

“Yes, but there are loose ends to clean up. The boy who died, did you know his name?”

“Hentry. Is this about his baby brother?”

“Did your men find him?”

“Yes, he has yet to be adopted, and is currently in Radin.”

“Adopt him in my name. I’ll ask mom and dad to raise him, if not, I will raise him as best as I can.”

“Is that really for the best? We could simply bring him into the village.”

“Hentry, through happenstance, saved Isha’s life. He would not have been here if not for me, they suffered no casualties at the village. So, this is how I can repay him.”

“I still think you should-”

Stone crumbled in his hands as Harlan got up from his seat.

“Either bring him here, or I will leave for Radin this second.”

It was not a threat, he had simply lost control for a moment, yet it felt and looked like one.

“I will do as asked.”

“I’m going to speak with mom and dad. 1, continue running checks.”

“As you command.”

In the minutes it took him to reach his parents farm, he saw from above the stretch of blackened forest and craters from Sepul.

He could’ve killed each of them cleanly, as if he was never there, yet this was not the work of a man clearing out the trash of the world. This was the work of a man who saw history repeating itself.

Harlan waited with his Black Sentinel outside the wall, the guards did not want them to come inside, but relented when Harlan appeared.

They moved in perfect sync, their footsteps heavy and forceful.

Even with Harlan in front, people were terrified of them.

“Mom, dad, I’m glad that you are ok.”

“What in the hell are these things?”

Harlow didn’t want to even step closer.

“2, introduce yourself.”

“Black-2, Black Sentinel commander of second squad. Assigned to the protection of the Fomoria farm.”

“We can’t have them here, you’ll scare everyone to death, those other ones at least look somewhat like people.”

Harlan snapped his fingers and the light folded into itself.

“They will stay invisible then. Just call out to 2 and he will follow your every command.”

“That’s almost worse.”

“I don’t care. You need better protection. I’ve done a lot, both here and in my own home, even Redwall’s home was not safe. Assassins got inside, Autumn and your grandchildren were almost murdered.”

“We have these massive walls, dozens of soldiers under you. All of your golems. Are you ok? I heard that…”

“I’m an archmage, that magic that Ava saw, it saved my life.”

He placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders. Mad zeal was clear in his eyes.

“I don’t care if you cannot accept what I do, right now, and in the future, I’ve seen you all dead, because I failed, I am never going to see that nightmare come to life. Also, I would like you to take in a child.”

Harlow just mouthed the word archmage a few times. Aida was glad to have something that let her move past his words.

“A child?”

“A boy came to me for learning, he died in the attack. He saved Isha’s life, and when I asked what drove him, it was that he had a baby brother who he needed to find. This is my debt to repay, if you don’t want to-”

“No. I mean, yes, I think it would be best if we raised him.”

It was hard for Harlan to feel fear from his mother, yet he agreed, if he raised the child, not only would he be absent from his life for the next few years, but even past that, he was a child himself still.

Add on who he was, and it would be stranger if she wasn’t worried about Harlan potentially being father to the boy.

“Does he already have a name? How soon should we expect him?”

Harlan asked The Mother.

“James, 2 days. I don’t want to spend more time here, I should be doing things. Thank you for taking the child.”

Harlow put his hand on his shoulder, he had hundred of pounds on him, he could enhance his strength to the point of shearing steel with his bare hands, but he couldn’t hold out against his father’s worry.

“Harlan, please, sit down for some tea for a moment, your mother will get some cured meat for sandwiches.”

“Alright.”

Harlan called Sepul, saying that he would be late for pick up, and he was free to join him for some food and drink if he wanted.

He expected a scoff that he was saying he would be late instead of asking if he could be late, instead he got an uncharacteristic response.

“I’d love to join you. I’ll bring my apprentice as well.”

It wasn’t long before he arrived.

“Good morning, Lady Aida, Sir Harlow.”

“Please, no need for titles.”

When ‘Elsa’ sat next to Harlan, Aida made the same observation as Amber, and he once again said that he didn’t see it.

“Son. I think that I understand you well enough, so, just don’t do anything stupid. If you can safely use whatever mad plan is forming in your mind, do it.”

Aida smacked him.

“Do not encourage him.”

“There will be no retaliation. Harlan, this is over, for now. Random mercenaries and assassins were hired with little regard to how they work together and their own skills. Likely Duke Seaborn believes the matter settled. For a man like this, it truly was nothing but a warning.

His kind do not see the deaths of servants or staff as anything but a cost to rehire and train new ones.

Had any member of your family died, he would expect a counter attack, but as it stands, nothing will happen.”

“One day, I want to feel his neck snap, just so I can heal it, repeating until he runs out of nutrients and his body eats itself. But, I am willing to wait.”

“Good. I saw those golems you made, if they attack the same as before, you shouldn’t run into any issues.”

It would be hard for anyone to stand up to the archmage sitting at the table, but motherly instinct overcame reason.

“You are not allowed to encourage him either, Sir Dust.”

She huffed and crossed her arms.

“There is not a man in this world who could stop Harlan from doing what he wanted. As his mother, surely you know that.”

“I am not a man.”

“Very well, I won’t try to stop you, as pointless as your fight is.”

“Sepul, I want to publicly take my archmage title-”

Elise was shocked and began to choke on her sandwich. After Harlan patted her back and pulled the chunks out of her with a little telekinesis she spoke.

“You think you can be an archmage?”

“No, I am an archmage. Just off the public record, I wanted to avoid people wondering how I got the title.”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

Then Harlan called Hirum, who admitted he was being petty, and said he would change his title to Shaper, yet Harlan refused, he wanted the title of Changeling now.

She nearly ran off in a huff, but hardlight stopped her.

“No need to be jealous, Elsa.”

“He is a child, it spits on the title to have him claim it, an academy title no less.”

“Envy is not a good look, you will gain the title one day, many of your projects show great promise.

Besides, he is a champion and of a race with magic inherent to them, it was never fair.”

“You don’t even know what I did to get the title.”

“Really, what did you do, Sir Changeling?”

The sarcasm tripped like acid from her tongue.

“I modified a person into a new man. I also crafted a new body out of dead flesh, one which is alive, but mindless. These are not cosmetic, they are their new forms, they cannot be dispelled with healing magic, they are from the inner soul outwards, new human beings. In time, I will cure incurable soul afflictions like the Fae curses. For now, I would like to capture orcs and see if I can fix them, just as practice.”

It upset her deeply that she knew exactly how impressive his work was, so, she simply believed that he was lying.

“Whatever.”

“Harlan, don’t argue with her. An archmage never needs to justify their title.”

His tone was warm, he was genuinely surprised that Harlan had a title and he was proud of him.

He had a daughter, 109 years ago, she became an archmage at 25, and was the inventor of cosmetic magic.

He considered Harlan’s work to be an improvement on what she had done, and was feeling nostalgic.

The thought crossed his mind briefly, to let go of the lie, and just accept him as his great great grandson.

“It surprises me that you hide this from me.”

“I wanted to have a celebration after I graduate. I would’ve announced it in front of everyone. I wanted you to hear it then, with all of my other loved ones.”

“I believe it is time for us to leave, call me when you wish to return to the academy.”

“I can go now, my parents just wanted me to sit a minute so I can calm down.”

Aida sighed, both of them knew full well that they couldn’t change what he was going to do, and what he had surely already done, Harlow just believed that it was justified and fighting him on it was useless.

“Baby, please, just stay safe.”

“Son, you know what you need to do, just do it right.”

Harlan stepped through the gate alongside Sepul and Elise, though they split from him as soon as he was in the gate office.

“You can’t do that again.”

“Honey-”

“Do not ‘honey’ me. He is going to get himself killed.”

“I have more faith in him than that. The more I see him grow up, the less I worry. He isn’t your baby anymore, but he will always be our son. Let’s face it, he is going to kill those people, we can’t, and probably shouldn’t stop him.”

“He should-”

“What should he do? Force him to live here until he can’t stand it anymore?”

“He should be safe.”

“Aida, dear, you are being ridiculous. We’re past that, he has gotten so far past peaceful options and living away from the bullshit in the world that it doesn’t even feel like we ever had that option. The second he was taken away, thinking he could live normally was nothing but delusion.”

Aida began to cry, but did not want Harlow to comfort her.

“This isn’t how it should be.”

“And I am sure he agrees, listen to him, listen to what Autumn and Amber tell us he tells them, nobody involved in this wanted this life for him, we’ve lost control of his life, we might not have ever had it.

We’re dealing with gods and nobles and the king. Little people like us never had a chance.”

He hugged her, but she pushed him away.

“I’m still worried, I know it hurts, it hurts me too. But it is pointless. The best we can do is be here for our children, help them make the right choices, even if we know they won’t listen.”

“We can make them understand.”

“Just like your father forced you to stay away from me?”

“That is different.”

“No, it’s not. Autumn was the exception, she did everything we asked her to do, she got married when she wasn’t sure she was ready. Sure, it worked out, but that might not have been exactly the life she was looking at, and she did it to make sure we were comfortable. She is happy, but what if she wasn’t?

What if Jaramis was secretly an evil man who abused her? Would you rather Harlan just sat on the sidelines? That he remain a farmer's son who could do nothing?”

“This is pointless, that isn’t what happened.”

“No, honey, you are being delusional. You are ignoring me and what I am trying to get you to understand.

He is our son, but he doesn’t belong to us, and if he wants to change things, then he should. I know, I know you want to just have him around here, to have him help you with cooking and housework, for him to go to the maiden festival one day and bring home a wife. But Harlan would live with so many regrets it would eat him alive. He is not built for this, not like us. But, and I know this is not right, we will have a new son, he can’t replace him, and that shouldn’t even be a thought in our minds. But he isn’t Harlan, and we can shelter him as much as you want. Keep him locked in the house so he never gets tempted to be something greater-”

Aida slapped him and stormed off.

Harlow understood how horrible it was, how insulting his words were, but he didn’t think of any other way to hopefully make her understand how unfair she was being to Harlan.

He stood outside the door to their bedroom.

“I’m not sorry, just know, I’m always going to be here for you, I’m never going to leave you behind.”

Harlow made a few calls, she wouldn’t want to cook today, so he ordered cake and steaks and nice bread from a baker in Tole.

She wouldn’t be happy if the house was dirty, and she wouldn’t want to do it, so he picked up a broom and got to work.

She didn’t talk when they ate lunch, nor dinner.

He slept in the childrens room for a few days until James came, then she at least began to speak to him again, though only for help with the baby.